This summer is a time of change in my life as I move from high school to university. It is also the end of my time as a Youth Speak News reporter. As I begin my new journey in life, it it a good time to reflect on what this past year has meant to me.

I’ve been fortunate to take part in several RCIA programs — the first time when I was preparing to enter the Church and subsequently when helping a friend who ran a parish program for potential converts.

A celebration planned by the Canadian Goan Christian Group for St. Joseph’s parish in Mississauga on Oct. 14 will highlight the role that immigrants play in keeping the Church in Canada alive and vibrant.

It is very difficult to make sense of the latest violence in the Middle East. And as we embark on another Advent season, it makes one wonder about the long-term viability of Christian communities in the Church’s birthplace in the Middle East, whether Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iraq or elsewhere in the region.